Wardens Eternal

Chapter Fifteen: Drowzee

One of the big dangers of digging a mine was that it tunnels could collapse no matter how well you reinforced them. One unfortunate cave-in could block off the entrance, trapping the workers inside where they would eventually suffocate and die if unable to breathe fresh air. Thankfully, The prospector was smart enough to plan ahead if such a disaster occurred. The Sandslash had dug several shafts that reached the surface for ventilation or escape, and it was one such escape shaft he directed them to.

The climb up the narrow tunnel had been tight, to say the least, with both of the Wardens barely squeezing through as they crawled their way up to the surface. Martian was the first to emerge, taking a moment to readjust his eyes to sunlight before offering Scarlett a helping paw to pull herself out. Both of the pokemon's fur coats were completely caked in dirt from the tunnels, but that was an issue they would have to address later once they were off the mountain.

"H-Help!"

Both of the Wardens sprang to attention. The kid was close, very close.

"I keep telling you kid, no one is going to hear you. So be quiet!" A second voice sneered, it's tone dripping with barely restrained violence, "And stop squirming you little runt! We're almost there. Do me this favor and I'll take you back to your brother. Got it?"

The Wardens held the advantage for the moment, the small clearing they were currently in was up on a higher elevation than the path the criminal was walking. They could easily pounce on the Physic type from up there with the element of surprise, but that would put the scared water type at risk. They would have to wait for the right moment. . .

Wardens Eternal

"And here we are," The drowzee huffed as he threw the terrified azurill out in front of him, "Look, I ain't asking you to do much. I've been very reasonable with you so far despite the amount of trouble you've been."

"Look, behind that rock is a stash of gold and treasure but I'm too big to get in there and get it myself. That's where you come in." The outlaw explained, "All you have to do is get in there and bring me my treasure, simplicity itself. Cooperate and I might even let you keep a piece yourself."

"I don't want treasure!" The little water-type cried, "I want my brother!"

The young pokemon tried to make a run for it by going around its captor, but the outlaw coldly grabbed him by his tail, dragging him to the largest hole near the rock and forcefully stuffing the child inside deaf to its pleas.

"Oh quit whining." The outlaw sighed before snapping, "You get my Treasure out of there or you will rot to death in there! NOW GET ME MY TREASURE YOU USELESS PIECE OF-"

A roar of great strength erupted, amplified across the mountain by its own echo and silencing the criminal in an instant. Azurill made the wise choice of staying in the pocket protected by the large immovable stone. The psychic-type turned around to face the challengers, and for the first time he could remember, he felt fear.

The luxio seemed to radiate power and skill from many, many battles. Far too many for a pokemon so young. For a moment, Drowzee tried to tap into the electric type's mind, to find the key used to make such a convincing bluff. To convince himself that this was an elaborate act to intimidate the outlaw. There was just one problem. . .

It was no bluff.

The dream eater panicked and hastily fires two Psycho cuts at the blue warrior in an attempt to get the first hit in. The electric type roared again as he intercepted the incoming attacks with two bolts of lightning, stopping the preemptive strike in its tracks.

Drowzee knew that swiping the kid was a bad idea, he knew that someone would come after him. That said, he wasn't expecting them to find him so quickly or be anything like the deadly luxio that had him cornered. Maybe he should have surrendered?

A powerful Flamethrower erupted in the corner of the Tapir's vision, only allowing enough time for the criminal to barely erect a defensive barrier to shield himself from the flames. Drowzee was beginning to feel his heart race, there were TWO opponents? How did he miss that?

At least the vulpix on the other end of the flamethrower was not of the same caliber as her partner. The dream thief felt somewhat comforted by the fact that he could take her one on one. A blast of telekinetic energy was enough to break off the kitsune's attack and force her back a small ways. At least she wasn't invincible.

The luxio's Metal Claw breaking through his shield made the tapir's heart jump up into his throat as the Electric type seemingly teleported right in front of him. No, he didn't teleport, he used his ally's flamethrower as cover to hide his advance underneath it! Drowzee didn't have time to really decide if the maneuver was to be commendable or just plain dirty as he leaped back to avoid the Metal claw that would have dug into his face had he delayed even half a second.

The outlaw's eyes didn't even have time to widen in shock before a metallic flail collided into one side of his face with enough force to throw him into the ground hard enough to leave him dazed.

The impact had impaired his ability to see or hear let alone maintain his balance long enough to stumble onto his feet. From what little he did know, both of his opponents were closing in, circling around and waiting for the next opportunity.

Maybe it was time to return the impairment, it would buy him a little time at least.

A dazzling, blinding flash enveloped his attackers' vision, providing a few precious moments to begin the process before he began to feel the luxio's jaws clamp down on his body before the decoy took his place.

Drowzee's real body rematerialized only a couple of paces away as the dazzling gleam died down to reveal the luxio's jaws embedded deep into the "flesh" of the substitute. He was that close to watching his own death.

The Substitute had saved his life for the moment, but the cost of his rapidly depleting energies meant that such a tactic could not sustain him forever. Drowzee knew that he was just backing himself into a corner more every second he spent on the defensive. He had to go on the attack.

Fortunately, he had a trick to use as a last resort. A move he didn't want anyone to know he had: Future Sight.

Thanks to the brief clairvoyance, Drowzee was able to easily dodge the lion's claw before slamming into the electric-type's ribs. The effect was devastating.

The luxio must have sustained some sort of injury on the climb up the mountain, something big slammed into his side and bruised it badly. Now add Drowzee's telekinetically boosted shoulder charge to the same area, breaking ribs and forcing the lion to collapse.

So the luxio wasn't so invincible after all. The outlaw's confidence began to return at the change in events. It was starting to look like he could win this battle after all.

To the luxio's credit, he didn't just succumb to his injuries and faint, continuing to growl despite his difficulty breathing. The injured pokemon kept trying to recover and push himself back up onto his feet, but his body was unable to comply. Defiant to the end, but helpless to change it

Now Drowzee could devote more attention to the vulpix, and win the fight.

The fox had been momentarily stunned by watching her partner go down. Clearly, she never expected to watch her partner fall, and now her confidence fell with him. That was good, it meant that Drowzee had complete control over the situation. Now to reap its rewards.

The kitsune managed to recover and dive out of the way of two Psycho cuts directed at her but was unable to evade the clutches of the Dream Thief's telekinetic energy. The fire type was lifted up in the air and exclaimed in pain as the outlaw's invisible grip began to tighten around her, squeezing any resistance out of her. A cruel hobby that the tapir took pleasure in.

Maybe he should spare her? A cutie like her could fetch a lot of coin from the right pokemon. . .

His scheming was cut short as every nerve and fiber of his body fell victim to the unrestrained power of a lightning bolt. It was like a thousand cactus needles erupted from inside his body flying in every direction as his flesh felt like it was melted inside his skin.

Once the electricity finally finished passing through his body, Drowzee collapsed to the ground, his muscles continued to spasm uncontrollably making his body flop like a Magikarp stuck on land.

The last thing he saw was the beaten luxio somehow able to get back on his feet and was weakly approaching. The electric-type was clearly in great pain as could be proven by his struggle to breathe and the large bruises swelling up on his side, but any look of suffering in his eyes was undetectable. Instead, Drowzee saw something different within the lion's eyes: Rage.

The entire world faded away into grey with the exception of the furious lion as he let out one final roar with all of his remaining strength, and focused all of it into a single slash with his claw.

Everything went black.